Assess
/əˈsɛs/
Definitions
To make a judgment about the amount, value, quality, or importance of something.
/əˈsɛs/
To evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of.
The doctor assessed the patient's injuries.
💡 Simply: To figure out how good or bad something is.
More Examples
The committee will assess the proposals and make a recommendation.
How It's Used
"The teacher will assess the students' understanding of the material through a test."
"We need to assess the risks involved before investing."
From Old French 'asseer', meaning 'to sit', 'to seat', ultimately from Latin 'assidere' (to sit beside, to attend to). The modern meaning developed through senses relating to careful consideration or judgment.
While the word's roots go back centuries, its modern usage of evaluating something became prevalent in the 18th century.
Memory tip
Think of 'assess' as 'a-sess', like 'a session' of evaluation.
Word Origin
"to sit beside, to attend to"